Supply Chain Optimization
Are your logistics operations slow and costly? Supply chain optimization might be the solution needed for your supply chain management. Discover how you can increase production speed and reduce expenses with FreightCenter’s guide to optimizing your supply chain!
Supply Chain Optimization
It is an undisputed fact that logistics was once a slow, costly process for companies. Items would take weeks to months to arrive on store shelves or at a customer’s front step. Customers would not know where their items were until their arrival, and it was much harder to return or exchange items, if at all.
Since the rise of e-commerce and same-day shipping, however, ordering has become much faster. Supply chain and logistics stakeholders are working to develop creative ways to reduce the time and money spent on production and distribution, such as utilizing new technologies to speed up the ordering process or emphasizing sustainability avenues.
Optimizing your supply chain is a surefire way to reduce costs while increasing production and efficiency. Learn more about how FreightCenter can make supply chain optimization easy and affordable to implement in your business operations.
Thousands of businesses trust FreightCenter to move their freight faster, smarter, and cheaper! From unbeatable rates to top-notch service, our customers are raving about their shipping success.
See why they keep coming back!
Award-Winning Service, Trusted by Shippers Everywhere!
- 2021, 2017 & 2016 Food Logistics’ Top Green Providers
- 2021 & 2018 Supply & Demand Chain Executives’ Pros to Know: Matthew Brosious
- 2020 & 2019 Top Food Logistics’ 3PL & Cold Storage Provider Award
- 2020 & 2019 Business Observer’s Top 500 Companies on the Gulf Coast
- 2020 & 2017 SmartWay® Transport Partner
- 2020 & 2017 Food Logistics’ Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain
- 2020 Best of Palm Harbor Awards for Local Businesses
- 2017 Green Supply Chain Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive
- 2017 Tampa Bay Business Journal Heroes at Work
- 2016, 2015, & 2012 Food Logistics Top 100 Software and Technology Providers
- 2013 Tampa Bay Business 100 by Tampa Bay Business Journal
- 2013 Top 100 Great Supply Chain Partners by SupplyChainBrain
- 2012 TIA Samaritan Award Honorable Mention
- 2012, 2011 & 2010 TBBJ Fast 50 Recipient
- 2013, 2011, & 2010 Diversity Business Top Businesses
Why Choose FreightCenter for Freight Shipping?
Expertise in Freight Shipping: With over 25 years in the logistics industry, FreightCenter is dedicated to guiding you through the entire logistics process, from beginning to end. Our goal is to make freight shipping easy to understand and book. Don’t waste time researching and receiving quotes from individual carriers- FreightCenter’s got your back!
Competitive Rates with Tailored Solutions: We prioritize high-quality customer service without breaking your wallet. We utilize our relationships with regional and national carriers to offer you competitive, affordable rates while providing personalized solutions to your needs. Need a liftgate? We got you! Want to expedite your order? Leave it to us! We’re ready to provide tailored solutions that don’t compromise your freight shipment.
Personalized Customer Support: FreightCenter is committed to satisfying our customers. Our friendly customer support team is here to help you every step of the way, from initial inquiries to post-shipment concerns. We handle all aspects of logistics, including tracking, paperwork, and communication with carriers, so you can focus on your business while we manage your shipment. Choose us for our reliable service and affordable quotes!
Why Should You Optimize Your Supply Chain?
The most challenging aspect of managing a business is supply chain management (SCM). Keeping every part of the supply chain, from procurement to distribution, organized and functional can be exhausting, especially when disruptions occur. These issues can delay production, prolong order fulfillment, and lead to customer dissatisfaction and a drop in sales.
To prevent SCM from crumbling at the lightest touch, frequent observation and changes to the system are required. If your company keeps the same routine production, newer companies with innovative, faster operations will surpass your company and make you obsolete. Optimizing your supply chain is one way to prevent this.
Other reasons to consider optimizing your supply chain include:
- Increasing responsiveness to changing economic conditions and trends in the market.
- Allowing businesses to review current practices and discover areas of improvement.
- Keeping stakeholders informed and up-to-date to be able to perform their roles effectively.
- Reducing risks of delays, disruptions, and interruptions throughout operations.
- Cutting production and transportation costs to allot more resources into company expansion.
What are the Key Elements of Supply Chain Optimization?
The supply chain is an enormous network made up of many moving parts, including people, ideas, jobs, and equipment. If your business is developing a plan to optimize your supply chain, it can be challenging to know where to begin. While there are numerous areas in your supply chain to focus on, five key elements allow for the most effective optimization.
Visibility: Your stakeholders must be able to clearly survey and understand every process in the company’s supply chain. This includes being transparent about data analysis and collaborating with different departments in your organization. Having a clear view of your planning and operating stages allows for easier communication and teamwork.
Order Management: Every step in the ordering process is essential, from order picking to fulfillment and delivery. By using advanced monitoring systems that make locating, packaging, and tracking orders easier, your company can manage orders more efficiently while improving customer service.
Inventory Management: Managing your supplies, materials, and equipment can be challenging, but you need to monitor your inventory to maintain your operations. Advanced technologies such as augmented and virtual reality can assist in keeping your inventory well-stocked and prepared for fluctuations in demand.
Data Analysis: How you collect and analyze data influences your company’s improvement and growth. This process includes not only internal and external data but also benchmarking and trend reporting. These practices provide companies with the opportunity to leverage their data sources to make informed decisions.
Sustainability: Businesses are increasingly aware of their impact on the environment and the world. By incorporating green technologies and practices into your supply chain planning, your company can meet customer demands for sustainable supply chain management while aligning economic needs with environmental health.
To create value for our customers by delivering customized shipping solutions that meet their unique needs and to fulfill shipping demands from simple to complex with expertise, guidance and ingenuity.
Trust the experts at FreightCenter to give you the best prices and the most comprehensive options for all your LTL freight shipping needs.>
We deliver optimized solutions for full or partial truckloads and competitive dry van, flatbed, and refrigerated freight pricing. We can cover your full truckload shipping needs.
Nationwide Expedited Trucking services move your freight securely and rapidly. Your freight requires fast delivery; our freight shipping experts can get your shipment fast, whether in one large box or a full truckload.
The most reliable Specialized Freight Services rates from all the top carriers are just a few steps away. From white glove service to international shipping, we've got you covered.
Successful Supply Chain Optimization Solutions
You have seen the light, and you wish to implement supply chain optimization in your day-to-day operations. Great, but how will you go about it? There are as many methods to enhancing your supply chain operations, but here are a few tips your company can use to make your optimization project successful.
Assess Your Current SCM Operations
What do your SCM practices currently look like? Research your past internal data, survey stakeholders, including customers, on what they appreciate or despise about your services, and ask for suggestions for improvement. This will form the skeleton of your supply chain optimization plans and guide your company on what areas need to be focused on and optimized.
Try New Planning Techniques
How are you actually planning your supply chain renovations? Rather than relying on your standard planning practices, try different methods that can expand your stakeholders’ perspective on the supply chain. For example, scenario modeling creates plausible situations for stakeholders to develop solutions so they can anticipate and prepare for future events. Other planning methods you can utilize include contingency planning and computer simulations.
Expand Your Analytics with New Technologies
Analytics is more than just data points on a sheet of paper. Advanced analytics now includes AI and machine learning; while not perfect and requiring human oversight, these technologies can delve deep into predictive data and find new solutions to optimize while taking into account an ongoing stream of the latest data to adapt SCM operations in real time. Other sophisticated analytics include data visualization, dynamic data, cluster analysis, and KPIs and metrics. Try different data analysis methods and see what is most useful for your optimization needs.
Automate Operations
Automation significantly enhances supply chain operations. Tools such as inventory management systems, analytics software, and warehouse robots reduce the need for repetitive manual labor and streamline the movement of goods through mechanized processes. However, it’s important to be cautious about how much automation you implement. Relying too heavily on machinery instead of human labor can lead to unexpected errors that human operators could have resolved.
Negotiate Continuously
Communication between stakeholders and management is essential, but so is ongoing accountability and assessment. Throughout the optimization process, managers must continually benchmark and evaluate progress made, noting what is helping improve efficiency and what is causing stagnation in the supply chain. Use these results to mediate between stakeholders and make changes to contracts with internal employees and third-party providers.
Use Third Party Logistics Providers
Having an internal logistics team provides greater control over your supply chain, but it can also be costly to maintain. Additionally, you might lack sufficient space for a logistics department, and other areas of your company may require more personnel. Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) can manage your logistics operations, including maintaining warehouses and transporting your products. This allows you to reallocate resources to other essential areas and concentrate on running your business efficiently.
FreightCenter Helps Optimize Your Supply Chain Operations
Supply chain optimization is essential for businesses struggling with traditional logistics and uncertain about how to streamline their operations. It not only speeds up production and reduces costs but also enhances stakeholder relationships, allows for the review of internal processes, and facilitates experimentation with new technologies and planning methods.
However, supply chain optimization is still a difficult project. Your company may need some assistance in getting started, and this is where FreightCenter can help! We are a 3PL that aims to better our clients’ experience with logistics by making the freight shipping process easier and more understandable.
We cut out unnecessary steps in your supply chain, from storage to transportation, while leveraging our network of carriers to provide discounted shipping rates that you can compare and select from. We also assist our customers with filing paperwork, overcoming shipping issues, and tracking shipments through our team of friendly, professional logistics experts.
Ready to take your SCM to the next level? Build your supply chain optimization plans with FreightCenter! Call our team of freight experts at (800) 716-7608, or use our free online quote tool to start comparing quotes from our carriers today!
Guaranteed competitive pricing every time you ship.
Frequently Asked Questions about Supply Chain Optimization
Q. How can supply chain optimization help my business?
Supply chain optimization is a surefire way to increase productivity and cut down on expenses. However, your business will also benefit from optimizing. For instance, you will be able to avoid or mitigate disruptions and delays by anticipating risks and formulating strategies to combat them as part of your optimization plans.
Your team will also be able to keep stakeholders informed on the latest information, predict trends and changing economic conditions, and experiment with new technologies that can smooth out operations without relying on slow human labor.
Q. Will creating a supply chain optimization plan help me prepare for a future supply chain disruption?
The effectiveness of your plans will depend on how much agility is incorporated into them. One strategy for successful supply chain optimization is to develop diverse, dynamic plans that take into account both current and future data. It’s also crucial to implement scenario modeling and contingency planning to understand how your team can manage known risks to the supply chain.
While it’s impossible to predict every crisis that may affect your company, you can prepare to tackle most challenges by having a backup plan in place that allows operations to continue running at full capacity.
Q. What areas of the supply chain should my team focus on optimizing?
The effectiveness of your company’s products, services, and operations can vary greatly. For instance, if your team examines warehouse operations and finds that workers are struggling to locate products for order fulfillment, there are several options to improve the situation. Your team could consider implementing inventory management systems that allow for quick identification of products on the shelves, utilizing robots to assist with order picking, or employing augmented reality (AR) technology to display a map of the warehouse over the real environment to help locate items.
However, it’s important to note that not every company will experience significant issues with their order-picking processes. Some may instead focus on optimizing their packaging processes or reducing transportation costs. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly analyze and evaluate your company’s current practices to identify which areas of your supply chain need improvement.
Q. Our team has tried to optimize our supply chain, but nothing has worked so far. What should we do?
Sometimes, fresh eyes can perceive solutions to problems no one else can see. If your team is having issues optimizing your supply chain, then it’s best to have an outside source assess your current practices and pull together data for you. They can find critical areas that are in need of optimization and present options for making it happen. You can also find software that handles surveying and data analysis, including those that utilize AI and machine learning for more dynamic responses.
3 Advantages of Using FreightCenter for Supply Chain Optimization
25+ Years of Service
We have over 25 years of experience, as evidenced by our large network of professional carriers. Our knowledgeable team of shipping experts is ready to help you optimize your shipping experience.
Customizable Shipping Options
Need a liftgate? No problem! Need to ship your products quickly? We got you covered! Our FreightCenter agents can offer tailored solutions for your specific shipping needs while offering affordable rates you can’t find anywhere else.
Friendly Customer Support
Our customer support team has the answers to many of your shipping questions and concerns. We’re here to help you through every step of the shipping process, from initial inquiries to post-shipment issues.
